My sons first deer...

For me definetly opening Morning of my first ever bow season

I've thought about this for a while now, and I honestly don't know. I guess I've been fortunate enough to have several hunts that stand out. Some involved getting a deer, some didn't.
1st bowkill
Bear at the bottom of my tree
any of the hunts my dad or I watched the other shoot a deer
Successful hunts while I was away at college
Random hunts that for some reason stand out becausethe colors of the leaves werea little more vivid, the smell in the air was fresh and the crisp feel of fall was all around

I have two and they both involve a particular buck. One a real fine 10 point I got about a15 years ago and the other a 9 point I shot on public land after the locals had been after him the enitre season. The 10 point we knew was in the area. I knew the woods would be filled with pursuers opening day. I decided to figure out what this buck would do when all the hunters hit the woods. I figured out what I'd do if I were the deer and went with that. I shot him about 800 yards from where I'd seen him all summer. I found what I figured was the optimum bottleneck if he did what I figured. I shot him about 30 minutes after good light.

The 9 pointer I found his sign on a weekend hunt in NY. I then found out all the locals had been after him. I returned 3 weeks later and using what I'd learned the last trip, figured where he'd go come daylight. I shot him 3/4 of mile off the main road where everyone else was hunting. I shot him about 8:30 after hearing him work scrapes around me out of sight for45 minutes. I had gotten to the woods a good hour and a half before daylight to get in there. I called my buddy on the phone to come and help me drag the deer out. He said there were hunters parked all over on the road,all hunting the same deer. Not a monster, but the biggest one on that piece of public ground who was as hard hunted as they come.

Good strategy for high pressured deer. Did you get the big boy with a bow?

My first year bowhunting when I was 12 years old. I'd been practicing with my dad all summer with my Darton MX-30 set at 45 pounds.Dad took me to his favorite treestand near "his Meadow" on State Land (Rifle River State Forest). He set me up and walked away, telling mehe'd come and get me after dark. Not 10 minutes after he walked away, I heard some crunching behind me.My heart wasjumping out of my chest. Finally I turned my head and looked. There was a doe about 20 yards behind me.She walkedright in front of me and I was shaking so bad my arrow fell off the rest. I put it back on and rushed a shot. I forgot everything I had practiced and grazed the top of her back.Not 20 minutes into my very first day bowhunting and I already MISSSED my first deer! I'll never forget that excitement that day. Missing that deer haunted me for the next 17 years. I had to waitmore 17 years to kill my first deer with a bow after that!

Probably this one. Not huge deer, but my partner and I both got one the same day.

Greg
Is that recurve and old indian. Looks a lot like one ofmy first bow.

Here is a photograph of the bear I killed this past fall.It squared a little over six feet.As I had mentioned in my original post it was a special kill for me because of the loss of a friend! He certainly was a significant factor in the development of my skills and passion for bowhunting.

Good eye, Burnie. It is an Indian Archery bow. If it was flipped over, you'd see a black leather indian silouette glued to the riser just above the arrow shelf. I still have that bow. I got it in 1966. I shot the deer in 1968, when I was 12.